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Cycling in London can be pretty intimidating. On the roads, cyclist have to avoid double decker buses, pot holes and errant foxes. But now there’s good news for two-wheeled folk, because the cycle paths in one part of northwest London are about to get much better.
TfL has announced a brand new £13 million cycleway in Brent, between Wembley Central and Harlesden. The C72 will be built over the junction of the A406 North Circular and Harrow Road/Brentfield, following quiet back streets wherever possible. It will include fully protected sections where the impact on buses and other traffic will be low.
In particular, Harrow Road will be get a segregated cycle lane. The busy A road had 90 collisions between January 2018 and December 2020. Of the 109 people injured, nine were cyclists and 14 were pedestrians.
TfL has worked closely with Brent Council to draw up the plans for the new cycling highway, which will also improve routes for pedestrians. The pathway between Wembley and Willesden Junction has been identified as one London’s locations with the greatest potential for future cycling demand, but TfL says people will only cycle there if there’s the infrastructure to do so. In a 2023 consultation, 87 percent of respondents said the scheme will encourage more people to cycle.
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Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: ‘Cycleway 72 is a game‑changer for our borough. For too long, people in this part of Brent have faced busy roads, unsafe crossings and barriers that cut communities in half. Thanks to the funding from TfL this new route will link the heart of Wembley to some of Brent’s fastest growing communities, from Bridge Park in Stonebridge, to the outskirts of Old Oak Common in Harlesden. Brent is moving forward and we are inviting everyone to come along for the ride.’
TfL has just been given approval to start the detailed design phase of the project, which will take around a year to complete.
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